9 New Year's Resolutions for Hot Sauce Lovers

December 26, 2015

New Year's Resolutions lists are everywhere this time of year, and people are trying to find a few things to work on for next year. However, the problem with most New Year's Resolutions is that they are boring! Why don't you make sure you spice up 2017, and commit to a few of these New Year's Resolutions for Hot Sauce lovers.

3. Try a new hot sauce each month. You already might have a favorite type of hot sauce, but it is important to expand your hot sauce pallet. Look at our Craft Hot Sauce profiles and make sure you try a new one each month. We also have a Craft Hot Sauce Club where you get three new small batch hot sauces each month. Check out our Craft Hot Sauce Shop.

4. Make your own homemade hot sauce. There are many good resources online to give you step by step instructions on how make your own sauce. If you are interested in a high level overview before you dig into the specific steps, read How 90% of Hot Sauce Companies Make Their Hot Sauce.

5. Give hot sauce as a present to a friend or work colleague. I was recently talking to a hobbyist hot sauce maker who made 80 bottles of a bhut jolokia/habanero sauce with about a dozen other ingredients. He gave about 20 bottles away to work colleagues over the holidays. When deciding who to give them too and who would appreciate the special gift, he guessed with 100% accuracy who would want it and who wouldn't, based on their personality. According to his experience, people that are friendly, outgoing, adventurous and like good food are way more likely to like hot sauce.

6. Look up your nearest small-batch hot sauce company and find them at the local farmers market. It's important to support local artisans, and small batch hot sauce makers want to meet their local supporters. Simply do a Google search of your location + hot sauce company, and you are bound to find a company close to you. Many of these companies go to local farmer markets, and they are always grateful to talk to you and teach you about their sauces.

7. Advocate for Craft Hot Sauce. Hot Sauce is now a billion dollar industry, and each year small-batch hot sauce companies are taking a share away from the larger companies. Craft Hot Sauce companies are taking away market share because they taste better and are healthier. Talk about craft hot sauce to your friends and support small batch companies to accelerate the hot sauce revolution.

8. Host a hot sauce tasting. Hot Sauce tastings are a fun way to gather with some friends and chileheads, and expand your hot sauce pallet. There are a few ways you can organize a hot sauce tasting, but Serious Eats has a good article on how to throw a hot sauce tasting.

9. Bring craft hot sauce to a dinner party. Often when I bring a specialty craft hot sauce to a dinner party they say it's the best hot sauce they've ever had. It can also add a little more to the meal if the person cooking is a bit bland. Inevitably a conversation will help accelerate the craft house sauce movement!

Hope you can pick a few resolutions to do in 2016. If you have any additional Chilihead New Year's Resolutions, comment below and they can make the 2017 list.